Based in Austin, TX
Chelsea Venegas
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $175 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
IEP advocates in McKinney, Texas
Special education and Section 504 advocates for McKinney ISD families in McKinney.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an advocate does for a McKinney family
An advocate is a paid professional who reads the evaluation reports, drafts your concerns, sits beside you at the IEP table, and follows up on whatever the school agreed to do.
Parents in McKinney usually start looking for an advocate when a meeting is already on the calendar.
What the work looks like
Advocates also coach. Some McKinney parents hire one for two hours of prep and go into the meeting alone.
McKinney ISD keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists McKinney as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Texas, and each card names the city.
Based in Austin, TX
David Gonzales
Special Education Advocate
Hi, My name is David Gonzales. Living in Austin, TX, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. I carry a masters degree in special education and currently practice as a sped teacher.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Based in Midland, TX
Kate Keenan
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
- From $75 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual advocates who work with Texas families
These advocates are not based in Texas. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Inverness, IL · works with Texas schools
Arielle Allen
Special Education Advocate
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University and a Master’s of Education from DePaul University, with a dual certification in elementary and…
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Lamar, CO · works with Texas schools
Jordan Kemp
Special Education Advocate
I’ve been a science teacher, a Director of Financial Aid, and a Dean of Students at a rural community college — always at the table with students and families navigating systems not built for them.
- From $95 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Hialeah, FL · works with Texas schools
Julian Moreira
Advocate
Hello! I look forward to helping families and their students get the crucial support they need. I have varied experience working with families and educators at the state and local levels.
- Autism Spectrum, Behavioral Support, Intellectual & Cognitive, Learning Disabilities
- From $100 per hour
- Free first call
- Meets in person or by video
Which district is in the room
McKinney ISD runs the IEP meetings for most McKinney students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
District lines and city lines are not the same thing. A street can sit inside one city and be zoned to the district next door.
- District McKinney ISD
- County Collin County
- Public schools inside McKinney 29
- Size McKinney is the 15th-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Midland, TX
Confirm your child's district by address. McKinney addresses may fall in more than one public school district.
The deadlines that apply in Texas
A written request for an evaluation starts a second clock in Texas, and the district has to answer inside 15 school days.
Keep every email. Most of what an advocate does with a McKinney file is date-stamping what the school already told you.
Texas gives a school district 45 school days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 15 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Texas Education Agency, Office of Special Populations and Student Supports, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Who licenses advocates in Texas
Attorneys are licensed. Advocates hold no license, and the difference matters most when a case gets close to a hearing, which is the point where the McKinney district starts talking to its own lawyer.
McKinney ISD does not approve or bar advocates. Federal rules let a parent bring anyone with knowledge of the child to the meeting.
What an advocate cannot do
An advocate cannot make the district agree. What moves a district is the record you build, not the person sitting next to you, and a good advocate spends more hours on the record than in the room.
Nobody can undo a meeting you already agreed to in writing. Read the page you are asked to sign before the room empties.
Local advocates and video advocates
Rates and openings decide most of this. An advocate who cannot meet before your McKinney meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month usually beats the best one who is not.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
McKinney IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in McKinney, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in McKinney?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
Can an advocate join an IEP meeting by video?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
Which school district serves McKinney, Texas?
McKinney ISD runs the IEP meetings for most McKinney students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
Is there low cost IEP help anywhere?
No public program assigns you a private advocate. The links under official resources on this page go to the state agency and to the complaint process, and both cost nothing to use.
Should my child have an IEP or a Section 504 plan?
The short version. IEP means the school changes what is taught and how, and Section 504 means the school changes the conditions around it.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in McKinney.
Sources for the Texas rules on this page
- 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter AA, currently in effect (TEA) (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1))
- TEA, Full and Individual Initial Evaluation timeline (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1) and Tex. Educ. Code 29.004(a)(1))
- TEA special education complaints process
- TEA special education
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
What to do next
Start with two calls, not six. Ask each advocate what they would do first with a McKinney file, and hire the one whose answer is specific enough that you could write it down as a task.
Do not sign anything at the first meeting if you are unsure. Consent can wait a day.
